Method of producing oyster tongs



EAWLE? C. D. BRIDDELL.

METHOD OF PRODUCING OYSTER TONGS Filed Aug. 5. 1922 I m Isa r0 9. 6mm 12- 2.

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Patented Get. 23, 1923.

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n'rnon or PRODUCING ove run TONGS.

Application filed August 5, 1e22. Serial No. 579,917.

To-aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES D. BRIDDELL, acitizen of the United States, residingat Crisiield, *in the county of Somerset and 'State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods Oyster Tongs, of which the of Producing 7 following is a specification. I This invention relates to oyster tongs and in one respect to an improvement in the bar. the union between the parts is not as secure as is desired and it has been found that the teeth will frequently be broken off particularly when the tongs are carelessly lowered on to a rock bottom or are struck against an object in dislodging theoysters gathered by the tongs. Therefore, it is the primary. object of the present invention to unite the tooth with the tooth bar by such a method and in such a manner as to establish a firm and secure union between the parts and preclude any liklihood of breaking ofi of the tooth.

Another object of the invention is to evolve a novel method of securing the teeth to the tooth bars and which method will permit of the use of tool steel in the manufacture of the teeth thus producing a more substantial and durable tong than one in which the teeth. are of wrought iron.

Another object of the invention is to provide for the union of the teeth with the tooth bars by a method which willnot necessitate materially weakening said bars in the process oi"- securing the teeth thereto.

Another object of the invention is to pro-.

vide for a union ofthe teeth with the tooth bars in such a manner as to firmly brace the teeth not only against stresses exerted against their forward and rear edges but also against stresses which might be exertedlaterally against them, and in this respect also the invention contemplates an improvement over the ordinary tong in which the teeth frequently become broken by being struck laterally against the sorting board or other objects. 1

The bar 1 In the accompanying drawings:"

Figure l'is a'fragmentaryview in elevation of one member of a pair of oyster tongs illustrating certain of the 'improver' ments embodying the invention;' I

' Fig. 2 is group View of am'ore .or-less diagrammatic nature illustrating the three steps in preparing eachtoothflfor union to the tooth bar; I

Fig. 3 is a perspective view illustrating the tooth in its finally prepared formand also the tooth bar,- the parts being disposed, in juxtaposition prior to" mutual assemblage;

Fig. 4 is a view partly in section and partly'in elevation illustrating the manner in which the toot-hand bar a'reto be assembled, the view illustrating also an anvil employed in the welding,

block. which is operation;

' 1 n I V o I i Fig. 5 1s a detail transverse sectional v ew substantially on the line 5-5 of Fig.'1

and illustrating the cross'sectional contour of the tooth.

In Fig. 1 of the drawings there is illustrated a portion of one of the members of a pair of oyster tongs embodying the improvements of the present invention and-in this figure the numeral 1 indicates in general the t ooth bar of said member and the numeral 2 the teeth which are" united to said bar at suitable intervalsinthelength thereoii; p

is preferably substantially of rectangular form shown most. clearly, in Figs. 3 and 4 01": the drawings and the tooth comprises a shank 3 which is tapered from a point adjacent its butt-end to its working end, in a gradual manner as shown in Fig. l of the drawings, being brought toa sharp point at its last-mentioned end :as indicated 3 by the numeral 4. Each tooth. is preferably of the cross-sectional contour shown in Fig.

5 and as illustrated in said figure the forward side of the tooth shank isbeveled'at its opposite sides as at 5 so as to'provide a- .relatively sharp working edge 6, the back of. the tooth, indicated by the numeral .7, being relatively blunt. At and adjacentv its buttend or pointfof union with the bar 1','the

shank of the tooth is'somewhat broadened or thickened as indicatedby the numeral 8 so as to render. the same more substantial this point wherethegreatest strainsoccur.

In preparing each tooth .a blank of the general form 'of the completed tooth is manufactured preferably from which in the next step of the operation as shown in Fig. 2 are spread apart a greater or less distance. lhe portions l1 are then swaged either by machinery or by hand hammering and, in the latter instance,

preferably by glancing or oblique blows so that the protuberances 9 and the portions 11 themselves will be thinned or spread in the direction of their peripheries so'as to provide lips which are indicated by the numeral 12. Also in this swaging operation the split 10 is considerably widened as best shown in Figs. 3 and i of the drawings and finally the lips 12 will be spread apart a distance substantially equal to the thickness of the tooth bar 1.

In preparingfthe tooth bar 1, the bar is formed inits front and rear faces and adjacent its lower side witn indentations 13.

The operation of forming the indentations 13'1nay be performed in any approved manner and the indentations are located opposite each other as clearly shown in l.

Having prepared the tooth blank and also thetooth bar in the manner above described, the butt-end of the tooth is forced into engagement with the lower side the bar withthe lips 12 straddling the said bar and extending over the indentations 13. As the lips 12willpossess a greater or less degree of resiliency, they will frictionally bind againstthe front and rear faces of th bar and in this manner the tooth will be firmly held in place during the next step in the method which involves welding the parts together.

In carrying out the welding step it is preferable to employ an anvil block such as shown in o f the-drawings and indicated by the numeral. 14'. This block is formed with a vertically extending opening 15 to receive the tooth shank and with a transversely extending channel indicated by the numeral 16 above which the bar 1 is positioned when the tooth shank is fitted into the opening 15, the upper end of the opening communicating with the bottom of the channel. In the welding operation a scale is formed and broken off, and in order that the particles of scale may be taken care of and prevented from accumulating in the channel 16 and opening 15, the block is formed with downwardl inclined passages 15 vhich lead from tie lower end of the opening 15 and open through opposite faces of the block. The block is provided with a earers tang 16 adapting it tobe disposed upon ordinary anvil.

'lhe welding operation is performed by ltt'ing the spread end of the tooth to be eld d, on to the tooth bar '1, while these are cold, the lips 12 snugly fitting the opposite sides of the bar and the tooth being thus retained in place. The parts are then subjected to heat and welding flux is applied about the edges of the lips and upon ising, runs into the space between the sides 0: the bar and the inner faces of the lips, thus preventing foreign matter lodging between the said surfaces. When a welding heatv is reached, the flux will be completely fused and a quantity thereof will enter between the lips and the depressions 13. The assemblage is then placed upon the anvil bloelr in the inannershown in Fig. i, and the welding operation is then effected by s riking blows in a downward direction noon the bar 1. As these blows are struck, me portions 11 at the bases of the lips 12 will be crowded into the indentations 13 by the walls of the channel 16, and the relatively thin lips 12. lln this manner the butte nu of the tooth becomes permanently united with the tooth bar in the manner shown clearly in Fig. 10f the drawings and because of the considerable width of the lips 12 l l the'crowding of the portions ll into the indentations 13 in the opposing faces of the bar 1, the tooth is reinforced against stres exerted not only against its front and rear edges but also against in lateral directions. lt will also be e.. that this method pern its of the formation of the teeth from tool steel inasmuch as it is not required to intensely heat any considerable portion of the length of tie tooth and, because ofthe peculiar manner of pre iiarin the butt-end of the tooth fo the welding operation, the welding flux y reach all surfaces which are to be brought to mutual contact in the welding opera- LlOll and a more perfect weld thus effected. Also it will be evident that inasmuch as the tooth is initially applied to the tooth bar while cold and is retained in place by yin/3 s1 is the frictional binding of its lips 12 against faces of the bar, there is no likelihood purities from the furnace fuel accuila n g on the surfaces of the joint. Paving thus described the whatis claimed as new is: 1, i he method of uniting a tooth to a tooth bar which comprises splitting the tooth at its hutt'eiid thus formed, indenting the opposite sides of the bar, ap ying the said end of the tooth to the bar with the saidportions straddling the bar and engagin in the indentations and welding the parts together.

2. The method of uniting a toot to a tooth bar which comprises indenting the invention,

I opposite faces of the bar, splittingthe tooth at its butt-end, spreading the portions thus formed, applying the said end of the tooth to the bar with its said portions straddling the bar substantially at the point of location of the indentations, and welding the said portions to the bar and crowding them into the indentations.

3. The method of uniting a tooth to a lo tooth bar which comprises forming a tooth blank at opposite faces with protuberances at the butt-end of the blank, splitting the blank between said faces, spreading the pertions thus formed, sit aging the said'portions and expanding the same in the direction l In testimony whereof I afiix my signam ture. a CHARLES D. BRIDDELL. 

